Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/242563
TASTE OF THE TOWN SOME LIKE IT HAUTE Las Vegas's Italian restaurant scene is in the midst of a renaissance. James Beard Award–winning chef Shawn McClain is well-known for his thoughtful New American cooking at Aria's Sage, but these days he's bringing a fair bit of buzz to the City Center property with his new Five50, a high-end pizzeria (named for the temperature at which pizza can be considered cooked to perfection) that puts a smart spin on the classic East Coast styles of pie, pairing them with a selection of upscale small plates (arialasvegas.com). In the Detroit area, the Andiamo name is synonymous with Italian cuisine. Now Joe Vicari's Andiamo Italian Steakhouse is bringing a taste of Italy, Motor City–style, to Downtown's The D, with crisp Caesar salads prepared tableside, 30-day aged steaks, and house-made pastas and breads. One of the country's best and most authentic Italian restaurants, Wynn's Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, reopened in December after a renovation, bringing a brighter, more convivial, more accessible feel to the space. Also increased rather impressively was the restaurant's already jaw-dropping selection of exotic fish (wynnlasvegas.com). Entering the ring in April is Food Network star Giada de Laurentiis's Giada, a 12,000-square-foot temple to fresh and lively haute Italian (giadadelaurentiis.com). The restaurant will be located in the brand-new Cromwell, the former Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, currently undergoing a Agnolotti at complete renovation. Andiamo. 62 Sicilian Lemon Drop at Carmine's. Italianate Cocktails JUST BECAUSE IT AIN'T AUTHENTIC DON'T MEAN IT AIN'T GOOD, PAISAN. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON I n the 1996 film Big Night, two Italian brothers in the 1950s run a failing New Jersey restaurant that aims for motherland authenticity. When a diner loutishly asks, "There are no meatballs with the spaghetti?" Secondo (Stanley Tucci) calmly responds, "No, sometimes spaghetti likes to be alone," then tries to prevent the fuming chef, his brother Primo (Tony Shalhoub), from talking to the philistine. Red sauce joints may be more classic American than authentic Italian, but that doesn't mean they can't serve up amazing food. Like the cuisine, some of the cocktails at Las Vegas pasta spots evoke the spirit of Italy even if they're not commonly served in Milan or Naples. At the cavernous new Carmine's at The Forum Shops at Caesars (carminesnyc. com), you'll consume massive portions of rigatoni "country style," penne alla vodka, and linguini with clam sauce. The cocktail menu complements the restaurant's joyous mood with tasty, irreverent drinks like the Sicilian Lemon Drop (Absolut Citron vodka, limoncello, lemon juice, Chambord, and myrtle berry) and the Sinatra's Iced Tea (rye, Martini Bianco vermouth, maraschino cherry liqueur, and lemon juice). The emphasis here is on enjoying the moment, so it's okay that you're not sipping more-authentic Italian standards like a Negroni or an Aperol spritz (although they're available as well). Over at chef Scott Conant's wine bar D.O.C.G. Enoteca, in Cosmopolitan (scottconant.com), the mood is more refined and the menu is more contemporary Italian. But you can still opt out of the extensive, well-curated wine list for a variety of signature cocktails with names more evocative of Little Italy than the Amalfi Coast. Accompany grilled octopus (served with chickpeas and tomatoes) with a Sicilian Sunset (Tito's vodka, Aperol, limoncello, orange juice, and Grand Marnier foam), or pair a Neapolitan pizza Margherita with a Roman Goddess (St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Hendrick's gin, lemon juice, and mint). Seeking even more bada-bing? The stylish B&B Ristorante, in Venetian (bandbristorante.com), lightens the mood with a classic Venetian Spritz (Aperol, Prosecco, an orange wedge, and an olive). And Buca di Beppo, a red-check-tablecloth spot inside Excalibur (bucadibeppo.com), offers an Italian Primo Margarita (Patrón Silver tequila, Disaronno amaretto, Cointreau, orange juice, and fresh sour mix). Oh yeah, and it serves spaghetti and meatballs. V VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 062_V_Taste_News_Winter14.indd 62 1/14/14 12:11 PM